A new approach to the analysis of horizontally curved beams is presented in this paper. The proposed method simplifies a two-dimensional structure into a one-dimensional structure just like a normal beam for structural analysis and, therefore, reduces the computational effort significantly.

Key Words

curved beam; finite element; force method; stiffness method.

Address

College of Engineering, National University of Defense Science and Technology,Changsha, Hunan 410003, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Foshan,18 Jiang Wan Road, Foshan City, Guangdong 528000, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Building and Construction, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong